Best Way to Decay
by Miss Maia
Summary: Gale had the grades, the sports, the looks and the girl. But Peeta knew Gale Hawthorne: the man wasn't made to belong to a woman like Katniss. He'd break her heart—It was a matter of time. More importantly, Peeta knew Katniss, and he was sure she wasn't the forgiving type. Modern Day – AU. Adult Content.


**Author's Note: **Written for Prompts in Panem, Day Seven - Envy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the _Hunger Games_ trilogy; this is just an attempt at fun by playing with someone else's toys.

**Warning: **References to Laboratory procedures with animals—animals used for scientific purposes.

**Summary: "**Gale had the grades, the sports, the looks and the girl. But Peeta knew Gale Hawthorne: the man wasn't made to belong to a woman like Katniss. He'd break her heart—It was a matter of time. More importantly, Peeta knew Katniss, and he was sure she wasn't the forgiving type. Modern Day – AU. Adult Content."

* * *

**Best Way to Decay**

Peeta met Gale Hawthorne in his first year in college, a huge mass of smiles and friendship. Gale helped him through that year, showing Peeta how the big Capitol worked and even inviting the younger man to live at his house. Gale had been studying at Capitol University for a year when Peeta started his Biology major. Befriending Gale had been one of the best things that had ever happened to him.

Funny how things could change.

It wasn't the fact that Gale's grades were sky high, while Peeta had to study harder to achieve a slim C+; nor Gale's broad shoulders that made the girls double take at the dark-haired handsome man. Peeta's bad leg never let him try out for the soccer team Gale was captain of, but it also wasn't the problem. What made Peeta's skin erupt with cold shivers, his blue eyes darken in anger, and his heart seethe with unforgiving _envy_ was her.

Her shy smile caught his attention at their first day of class. She never wore the delicate skirts most of the girls did, and she was perfectly comfortable with her never changing braid. Peeta couldn't point out what made him fall so hard for this woman. The truth was that he had been loving her for months, years, and he knew it was the kind of love that only happened once in a life time.

But then, there was Gale.

It shouldn't have been a surprise when the most quiet, most delicate and—for Peeta—the most beautiful freshman fell for the most handsome sophomore. Not a surprise, but still a tragedy. Gale had the grades, the sports, the looks and the girl.

Katniss Everdeen made Peeta's heart beat faster at each new class, light touch or quick look. He accepted what she could offer him: the best of friendships. Katniss was loyal, funny and smart. Hiding his feelings from her was a daily challenge, but he was a happy third wheel around the couple—though every time he saw them holding hands, he just wanted to saw Gale's hand off.

Gale obviously had fallen for the courageous, good-looking and smart Katniss. Though what Hawthorne failed to notice was when Katniss laughed, her lips curled up in the slightest of the wrinkles, and one could just see it again when she scowled—but nobody wanted to maintain eye contact with a scowling Katniss. Gale also had never paid enough attention to her husky voice, or how her tone lowered when she allowed herself a hearty laugh. He barely noticed the wistful look in her eyes when she talked about her hometown, her woods or her sister.

During two years at her side, Peeta knew all of that by heart; he knew Katniss Everdeen deeper than her boyfriend, and Peeta knew nobody would ever understand her the way he did.

But Peeta also knew Gale Hawthorne. The man wasn't made to belong with a woman like Katniss. He'd break her heart—Peeta was sure of it. It was a matter of time, and more importantly: Peeta was absolutely sure Katniss wasn't the forgiving type.

So he waited. For two years he had been waiting, and he'd wait his entire life if necessary.

* * *

Peeta groaned when the irritating alarm disturbed his sleep. Today was Thursday and the new cells would get to the lab, needing someone there early to receive the load. This week was supposed to be Gale's turn to be at the lab at 6am, but he had asked Peeta to replace him.

While he blinked lazily and headed for the bathroom, Peeta inwardly regretted that decision. His scowl soon turned into a smile when he remembered Katniss' pout when she had asked him to replace Gale so the couple could go to the movies on the cheapest day of the week—Students Wednesday. Then his smile faded when he thought about what "movies" really meant, but Katniss knew Peeta wouldn't deny her anything.

The hot water led his thoughts to how he had spent half of the night awake, imagining what could be going on in the bedroom right under his. He dreamed that it was his hand over Katniss' mouth suppressing her moan in the quietude of the night. However, the hands that danced over Katniss' body the night before were darker, harsher and bigger than his were.

Descending the stairs ungracefully, he packed his lab coat and notebooks, almost tripping when he turned down the hall to the kitchen. Finnick and Thresh, the other habitants of the house along with Peeta and Gale, would complain about his heavy steps in the morning. Imagining their faces, Peeta grinned and entered the darkened kitchen.

His heart stopped in his throat when he saw the small form sitting on the table, her legs swinging softly in a mute rhythm. Katniss looked up at him and flashed her usual smirk, resting the water she was sipping by the side of her hips.

"I thought it was you. You come down the stairs like an elephant." Katniss said after a yawn.

Peeta's mouth felt dry and he silently thanked the dim light when his eyes darted to her exposed legs—Katniss knew all Gale's friends that lived with him and felt comfortable enough to walk around the house in her pajamas.

"Not everyone has your stealth ability to sneak into dark kitchens to scare people," he answered with a broad smile, crossing past her to reach the refrigerator.

"C'mon, I'm not that scary." Katniss self-consciously toyed with her tangled braid, now wondering if her face looked like a mess too.

_"No; you're perfect."_ Peeta thought to himself while saying aloud, "But what are you doing up? Your research is with mice—they don't require you to get to the lab until nine." He opened the refrigerator, frowning at seeing someone had ate his sandwich—probably Finnick. He turned to look at her again, a half-empty milk carton in his hand. "Your mice don't die as easily as my bacteria."

"No, they don't." She jumped back to the floor, grimacing at the memory of the little mouse's head being chopped off—she hated that part of the experiment. "But today the new interns are coming to the labs, and I'll show the new guy around—plus, I need to go home first." She widened her eyes and looked down at her pajamas to emphasize her point. "Are you receiving your new intern?"

Peeta nodded. "Yeah; same thing every semester." He cleared his throat, trying to sound casual while he asked, "So … Gale is going to sleep through the morning while you work?" Peeta watched with delight as Katniss avoided his eyes and shrugged. His grip around his milk carton tightened, his mind the constant mix of anger and envy—Gale didn't deserve that girl.

"See you later then!" she called from the hallway, going back to Gale's room.

"You bet," he responded to himself, while the sun started to peek inside the kitchen.

* * *

The new intern to the Structural and Functional Biology Department Laboratory was a lovely girl who came to Capitol University to pursue a doctorate degree. Peeta wasn't sure what it was, but something like a vague idea started to form in his mind the moment he shook her hand.

"I'm Madge." She smiled at him, her smooth hand warm in his palm. She looked around the lab, checking the culture medium plates spread over the tables. "I used birds in my last research. I'm kind of rusty with dealing with growth medium." Her speech flowed with ease and her hands articulated her words—her perfectly manicured hands. Her face was beautifully symmetric and her eyes were a delicate blue. As she spoke, Peeta's mind started to develop a plan.

"Professor Beetee said a technician would show me the details," she continued. "Is that you?"

Strawberry blonde hair, piercing azure eyes, molded lips, full chest and light make-up. She was a stark contrast of Katniss.

Peeta snapped back to the moment, his idea completely formed.

"There will be another student here in the afternoon," he answered with his most sympathetic voice. "His name is Gale Hawthorne. He'll show you around."

Madge smiled and thanked him, her flats not making a sound as she exited the lab.

Peeta's heart was beating fast, excited and scared.

Madge Undersee could change everything.

* * *

"Why do you have to work at night, too?" Katniss asked in a half-whine, frustrated with the information her boyfriend had just shared.

"Because _someone_—"Gale glared at Peeta, who was quietly eating cereal at the other end of the table—"was reassigned. I'm going to work with the new intern, and Peeta is going to work with you, actually."

Katniss' scowl suddenly disappeared and she glanced at Peeta, who risked an impish grin.

"You're going to work with me and Jo?" She got up from her chair and crossed the small kitchen to playfully hit Peeta's shoulder. He'd known for hours that he'd be working with her, but Gale was the one who told her at dinner. "Why didn't you tell me? Oh, you can't tell Johanna just yet; she likes to scare new interns with the mice." She smiled at the memory of their Animal Biology Laboratory new intern screaming down the halls after Johanna had filled his locker with the animals. Johanna later justified her prank by noting that none of the animals were infected, like that would be the only problem.

"That's okay. I can handle a few rodents." His grin developed to a full smile.

"My God, can you stop talking about rats?" Finnick's voice resounded in the tiled kitchen. They greeted him with smirks and smart replies. Finnick Odair was a Physical Education major, who thought that living in a house full of biologists turned the topic to animals more than any normal conversation.

"The technical terms is 'mice'," Peeta corrected him, his smile still in place.

"My technical response is: I don't care." Finnick joined him at the table and reached for Peeta's cereal box.

"Peeta is going to work in my lab," Katniss announced the news with a grin, and Finnick discreetly winked at Peeta.

"So you're going to kill rats together?" he quipped, his heartbreaking smile shining while he poured some of the colorful cereal in a relatively clean bowl.

"Better than just hanging around half-naked dudes." Peeta smirked right back at him, and Finnick raised his hands in self-defense.

"It's a sport, man. The swimming trunks are just part of it."

"Still gay." Katniss joined the conversation and soon they were discussing half-naked mice and dead dudes—or maybe the contrary.

Gale thought it was a good thing that Katniss was so excited about Peeta working with her that she forgot to ask about the new intern he'd be spending hours with — Peeta thought it was simply amazing.

* * *

The next weeks flew by with a lot of work and study. Peeta and Katniss were getting even closer than before, sharing funny moments in the lab between Johanna, Marvel (the intern that was actually afraid of his experiment) and the bunch of poor mice. He wasn't sure about the details of what was going on in his old laboratory, with Gale and Madge working alone, but from Katniss' behavior it seemed that things weren't completely fine.

One night Peeta forgot his notebook at work, crossing the chilly autumn quad of the university to get it back—he would have a test early in the morning, and with his crazy schedule, the only time he had found to study was at night. He was surprised to see the lights on at the lab at 11pm on a Wednesday, but his surprise melted into excitement when he saw Katniss' dark hair from behind.

"Working hard, huh?" He reached her from behind, but his laugh died in his throat at the sight of her. She looked distressed and extremely tired. "Whoa, what's going on?"

"Could you just …" she started to say, but took a deep breath to calm down. "Could you just not ask?" Katniss didn't want to explain she had made plans to spend the night with Gale and had told Johanna—her roommate—that she could do whatever she wanted with the apartment. Her plans with Gale had gone downhill because he needed to work, and now there would be around fifty people partying in her living room. Oh, and she also had the same test Peeta would have in the morning.

"Okay," he said calmly, sitting next to her. He had so hoped she was having problems with Gale. "Studying for the physiology test?"

She looked up at him, showing her notebook. Peeta bit his lips at seeing only doodles on the pages. "Trying to," she replied.

He thought about it for a minute before asking, "What about some late night coffee?"

She smiled for the first time in the night. "The cafes are closed by now."

"Exams week in the Polytechnic. The one there is open twenty-four-seven."

"And how do you know that?"

"Thresh," he replied while standing, offering his hand to help her up. Katniss remembered that Thresh was an Engineering student, the most quiet of the boys in that house.

They shared small talk while crossing the campus, too late to catch the bus. Katniss unconsciously leaned towards Peeta at each new blow of wind, and he inwardly delighted at those moments.

The coffee shop was as busy as if it was the middle of the day, with distraught students complaining about the exams and lack of sleep. Katniss even felt sympathetic for a girl crying to her friend that she would fail her Logical Circuits test—it would make more sense to Katniss if she knew what "Logical Circuits" meant.

Peeta found a table for them by the window, close to some computer engineers discussing the end of some science fiction movie. He left her alone for a moment and came back with their orders.

"Cappuccino with cinnamon." He handed her the steaming cup. She smiled and winked at him.

"And yours is black—no sugar."

He tried to hide his surprise at seeing she knew his usual coffee order, but his stupid grin didn't leave his face. "Yep," he answered shyly, taking a sip to see if his smile would give a break. He watched while she added even more sugar to her drink.

"What?" She caught him staring. "I've been listening to a conversation about huge robots fighting aliens for the last five minutes. I need sugar." She tilted her head back to the Computer Engineering table. Peeta looked behind her and widened his eyes, quickly disguising his surprise with another sip from his coffee.

But Katniss was smarter than that.

"What?" she repeated, though this time there was more curiosity than annoyance in her voice. Peeta didn't answer, and she finally turned and glanced behind her.

Beyond the table filled with nerds discussing about robots and aliens, behind the other table with the crying girl who would probably fail her Logical Circuits test, Katniss saw the messy dark hair she knew so well. Her growing smile turned into a serious scowl at noticing that beside Gale sat one of the most attractive blondes she had ever seen—and they were smiling suspiciously.

"Katniss …" Peeta tried to say, but she was already marching in the direction of the couple. Peeta wasn't sure what he was feeling, but he definitely didn't want to be Gale at that exact moment. He stood up quickly to catch up with Katniss' hasty steps. All the anger and envy he always felt towards Gale turned to amusement at the wide-eyed expression he offered Katniss when she approached him—his big gray eyes were priceless.

"Excellent night for work, huh?" Katniss placed both her hands over their table, locking her eyes firstly with Gale and then with Madge, who wore a confused expression.

"Katniss! I, I didn't know you were still here," Gale answered sheepishly, his body language changing from relaxed to tense. He visibly moved away from Madge.

"And I thought you were working," she responded, looking back at him and thinking how he had cancelled their plans to go out.

"I am, I mean, we are." He moved his hand between him and Madge. "We're just taking a break from the lab."

Katniss eyed Madge again. She hadn't met Madge yet, because surely she would remember someone like her.

The blonde offered her a small wave.

"I'm Madge."

"Katniss." She accepted Madge's hand, shaking it slightly. Peeta watched everything from behind Katniss, his mind reeling with what that encounter could mean.

"I'm sorry," Gale cleared his throat. "Katniss, this is Madge Undersee, the new intern at the S&F lab."

Katniss once more nodded in the direction of the woman, suppressing the most obvious comment: _"Why the hell didn't I know the new intern was so fucking hot!"_ She decided to ignore the last part of the thought—that her boyfriend had been spending nights alone with _that _woman for the past several weeks.

"And this is Katniss Everdeen." Gale pointed to Katniss, his face blushing under the low light of the coffee shop.

Honestly, Peeta was expecting the title, but it didn't come. Katniss completed Gale's phrase in a cold tone.

"Your girlfriend," she added, unsure of the myriad feelings overwhelming her tired, and now caffeine-filled, mind.

It was Madge's turn to arch an eyebrow, but she politely disguised her surprise and smiled at Katniss, emphasizing her full, red lips. Katniss made her best effort not to roll her eyes.

"I need to go," Katniss mumbled, unsure if what she was feeling was anger or humiliation at seeing her boyfriend so openly flirting with another girl. She knew Gale was way above average in the looks department, and he attracted all kind of girls, but she never thought he actually responded to them.

"See you tomorrow?" Gale stood up to kiss her goodbye, but the kiss was a quick peck.

"I have an exam in the morning and will work until late. Call me later." She hugged him briefly and exited the shop. Peeta hurriedly waved at Gale and Madge and left after Katniss.

"You forgot your coffee!" He yelled from behind her, the two cups in his hands. It took him a few yards to finally catch up with her.

"Did you know that _she_ was the intern?" The question surprised him: so direct and bold. But then, that was Katniss Everdeen.

"Yeah." He handed her coffee, not meeting her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to tell?" Under the streetlight, his eyes shined a lighter tone of blue, and for a brief moment, Katniss forgot about Madge; but she quickly came back to her senses at seeing that his eyes were as blue as _Madge's_.

"That she was freaking hot, for a start."

"Is Katniss Everdeen jealous?" It was her turn to be surprised by his question.

"Of course not." She tasted her drink, the steam fogging her vision for a second. "I love Gale and I'm sure he loves me. She's just … so beautiful, I guess."

Peeta's pasted-on smile didn't show how his heart was sinking now.

More than anything he wished to be the one to whom Katniss was loyal.

How long would it take her to realize Gale wasn't as loyal as she was? Or that Peeta could be?

That night he didn't sleep, the image of Katniss' face flashing in his mind in waves of anger, jealousy and consuming envy.

* * *

It boiled from the inside of his soul, burning his being like a merciless torturer. Peeta couldn't sleep well, always wondering if she would be downstairs with Gale or somewhere else complaining about the fact that she _wasn't_ with Gale. Food was verging to tasteless every time he saw her during work or classes; each jealous thought sent a deadly punch to his gut because he couldn't have foreseen that.

Peeta couldn't have predicted Katniss would just affirm her love for Gale after seeing him with Madge.

_"I love Gale and I'm sure he loves me."_ It echoed in his mind all the time, reminding him that he had failed—again.

Peeta had personally asked Professor Beetee to reassign him from his lab to Katniss', where he could spend more time with her. The moment he saw Madge, he knew she was Gale's type, and leaving the two of them alone could provide the opportunity he'd wanted for so long. But it totally backfired, because when Katniss actually caught them flirting, she just reaffirmed her love for Gale and never spoke of the incident in the coffee shop again.

Or so Peeta thought, because whatever he was feeling in his lonely heart had made him close himself from the outside world—even from Katniss. He saw her at work, but she wouldn't start a serious conversation, their small talk dying after the familiar greetings. He thought that was for the best, that he needed some time alone to put everything back in place: he hated Gale and loved Katniss, and even though hiding both feelings consumed him, he couldn't mix them.

Katniss wasn't such a regular presence in their house anymore, but Peeta didn't bother to wonder why. He needed a few weeks alone to digest his defeat and return to the nice friend he always was to Katniss—_and nothing else_, he commanded himself bitterly.

On a Friday night, Peeta laid on his bed, staring at the blank ceiling above him. He could feel the walls trembling with the loud music coming from the living room, the electronic beat and cheery voices invading his dark, melancholic room. Finnick was throwing one of his parties that ended up with the house full of tanned girls and huge guys, all with much of their clothes gone by the end of the party—sober or not.

Peeta wasn't in any mood for partying or even getting up out of his bed, so he laid there silently, trying not to think about why his life felt like shit right now.

In the middle of the shouts and inconsistent music, he imagined a familiar voice echoing along the walls of his room, but it was overshadowed by the loud music and the raucous cheers of the guests. Peeta took a deep breath and rolled to his side, sure his mind was now playing tricks with him.

The insistent knock on his door just made itself audible over the music when Thresh actually kicked the door. Groaning, Peeta rolled off his bed and opened the door.

Thresh's face was a comical mixture of panic and amusement. The same sensation Peeta had felt when first shaking Madge's hand now fluttered his stomach.

"I think we have a problem," the tall man said, his breath ripe with the characteristic smell of cheap alcohol. "You should get downstairs."

"I'm not going to clean up any puke," Peeta protested while following Thresh.

He followed the engineer through the kitchen to reach the back yard, where Johanna was furiously yelling at Finnick. Her short hair messy, her black nailed finger buried deeply in Finnick's chest as she shot an endless sequence of curses at him. But when Peeta approached them, she realized Finnick wasn't the target of the fierce brunette's ire.

"He's an asshole! And now where the fuck is she?" she kept yelling, turning her head to Peeta as he and Thresh approached her. "Perfect. Best friend to the rescue." She rolled her eyes, and Peeta frowned in growing confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked no one in particular, glancing between Finn and Jo.

Finnick took a deep breath, his hand threading his copper hair. "I'm drunk right now," he started as if to excuse whatever he was going to say next. "But I'm almost sure Gale has screwed up with two hot chicks."

"_Almost_ sure?" Johanna yelled, her finger poking Finnick on the chest one more time.

"I said I'm drunk," he responded in self-defense.

"Finn". Peeta grabbed his arms, forcing him to look in his eyes. His stomach was in knots. "Focus. What happened?"

"Yeah," he started again, his eyes glossy. "Gale broke up with Katniss and hooked up with blondie, though I don't think he respected the proper order," he confessed in a blurred statement.

The loud music, the cheers, the whistles—it all stopped at that moment. Time slowed down and Peeta felt sick and triumphant at the same time.

It had happened. What he had waited for years for, watching, expecting, desiring…

_Envying._

"I managed to punch him in the face, but he ran off after Barbie," Johanna's word pulled Peeta back to reality. He just realized he was still holding Finnick when he pushed him slightly as he freed his arms.

"Where is she now?" Peeta breathlessly asked. He needed to find her, no matter what.

"Blondie took off and Gale followed her," Finnick replied.

"Not Madge! Katniss!" Peeta's voice verged desperation.

"That's the problem, dumbass." Johanna looked up at him. "She stormed out of here more than an hour ago. She's not at home, not at the lab—we have no idea."

"And she's drunk and pissed," added Thresh, who had been watching the exchange silently from behind Peeta.

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" Peeta was angry.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Depression. We wanted to ask you if you had any idea where she could be, but these last few weeks you've been so…"

Peeta ignored Johanna's next words, realization finally hitting him.

While Peeta moaned over his unrequited feelings for Katniss and his eternal jealousy of Gale, the couple had been falling apart right under his nose.

And now a drunk, sad and pissed Katniss was walking around campus. His original plan had worked out: Gale screwed up. But at what cost? Her heart was broken and devastated. What price was Peeta was willing to pay to have Katniss for himself?

"I need to go," Peeta said to no one in particular and hurried to his room to grab his jacket.

* * *

He headed to campus without thinking too much; since Katniss was on foot, she would probably be there—or so Peeta hoped. If she had gone beyond Capitol University's limits, she could be in real danger, and Peeta couldn't even start to think about that possibility.

He had a hint of hope at seeing the Polytechnic café open, but she wasn't there. He bought a coffee to gain energy to keep searching and practically ran half the campus to reach their lab, but the lights were off. Just to be sure, he checked inside, turning on the lights.

Loud shrieks greeted him as the sudden brightness startled the mice .

"Sorry …" he said already feeling defeated. "She wasn't here, was she?" Peeta walked to the experimental table and sat on a stool, touching one cage lightly. The white mouse inside it approached his hand to sniff the tip of his fingers. "You have no idea where she is, do you?" A pair of red eyes looked up at him, the thin mustaches twitching with curiosity.

Peeta closed his eyes and tried to think clearly. He knew Katniss—he could find her. Where would a sad, humiliated and slightly drunk Katniss go? She wouldn't seek out anyone. Katniss hated people prying into her problems, and that was the reason she ran away whenever she was in trouble. However, she also didn't like to be completely alone, at least not in the city.

His eyes opened to see that the mouse had lost interest in his finger, pacing around the small cage. He watched the animal for a minute, his mind lost in endless possibilities.

Then, cursing himself for not having this idea before, he jumped from the stool and ran for the door. He almost forgot to turn off the lights while running to the hallway, going back just to do it and lock the door.

The pair of red eyes stared puzzled in the direction of the door.

Realization hit him like a sharp bite, and he ran to the adjacent building. It was there that the animals used in experiments were raised and prepared to be shipped to the laboratories throughout the campus.

He heaved a sigh at seeing one lonely lamp on near the back entrance. His lab card could open that door, but suddenly his rush to enter turned into nervousness. What if she didn't want to see him?

Gulping down his insecurities, he waited for the small light next to the door to turn green, the door giving in with a discreet beep.

Katniss knelt on the floor, resting her head on the wall as her hand caressed a cheerful mouse. The rodent was smaller than when they were ready for the lab, a tiny gray ball on her warm palm. Peeta saw her hands trembling as she touched the furred animal, her eyes never leaving her hands. She didn't raise her head when he approached the rodents section, his heavy steps echoing in the strong smelling room.

"You still walk like an elephant."

His face creaked a smile at her phrase, though she didn't look up at him.

"I told you, I don't have your stealth." Peeta sat down next to her, and for the first time she glanced at him. His heart shattered with compassion but then beat faster with anger at seeing those red-rimmed eyes—Peeta was angry with Gale, but part of him felt the sharp bite of guilt for this. She offered him a shy smile, but her lips were trembling. "He's a jerk," Peeta said, and Katniss took a deep breath. He caressed the head of the mouse she was holding, making the animal squeak.

"We can't leave it here," she said softly, tears still tracing her voice. "Since we touched it, they're going to kill it."

"We can leave him in the garden," Peeta offered, unsure of what to do with a mouse outside the laboratory. "Or …" he continued, a smirk on his face. "We could release him in the S&F lab. It could ruin all the culture medium."

Peeta had a special talent to make her smile.

* * *

She was breathless with laughter by the time they reached her apartment. Katniss and Peeta had released not one, but four mice at the Structural and Functional Laboratory, which would probably ruin weeks of research from Madge and Gale—and that was the reason they were laughing so hard.

Katniss was happy with the small distraction from her horrible night—which included catching her boyfriend cheating on her and being forced to listen as he tried to explain how he _intended_ to break up with her before that. Plus the fact that he chose to go after Madge to console her, since the blonde thought he had already broken up with Katniss. After that scene in the middle of Finnick's party, she grabbed a half-empty bottle of vodka and disappeared through the backdoor. She wandered around campus before going to the back of the Animal's lab, where she cried for what seemed like days.

Peeta closed the door behind them, puffing with excitement. They looked like silly teenagers, laughing with pranks and jokes, and not like each of them had a broken heart.

As easily as it came, the adrenaline rush left Katniss' body and she sank on her sofa, guilt and humiliation taking over again.

"It's even funny now," she said calmly as Peeta sat next to her. "How I thought I was good enough for a guy like Gale."

Peeta actually huffed at this. "You're fucking kidding me." The tone he used made her glossy eyes snap to him and focus on his piercing glare. It was almost scary. "You're amazing, Katniss. Gale is an asshole, and he never deserved you." There was no room for argument, so she just nodded, a familiar warmth spreading over her cheeks. She looked away from him.

"You say that because you're my friend."

"I say that because it's true." His hand on her chin made her look back at his impossibly blue eyes. "Katniss …" he started, but words failed him.

She didn't know why, but her heart accelerated and all she needed now was for him to say whatever he was going to say. Her mind was still fogged with alcohol and frustration, but something deep down told her she _needed _to hear what he was about to say.

"Say it." She leaned closer, her words brushing his light stubble.

"You're perfect," he admitted softly.

To her, hours passed; hours frozen in seconds of wait as their breaths mixed in a hot combination of alcohol and coffee. She tried, but couldn't meet his eyes as they bored into her so she let her own fall closed.

It was then that she felt the kiss. At first insecure and asking for permission, unsure if he was welcomed.

Her last sane thought was deciding to open her mouth to invite him in.

His body was over her in a moment, the frozen hours suddenly melting and rushing. Her mind reeled with thoughts she purposefully pushed away, focusing all her remaining energy on exploring Peeta's chest and neck, his mouth and shoulders.

She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't surprised when he took off his shirt, his broad shoulders more defined than his usual slack clothes revealed. She didn't let her mind elaborate on the thought and landed her mouth on his neck, allowing her tongue to explore all the skin it could reach. He groaned loudly at this, his hands sneaking between their bodies to tug on her blouse.

She held her arms above her head while he freed her torso from her coat and shirt, his hot lips claiming her now exposed neck. Her moan filled her living room when he pulled her on top of him, their hips meeting and causing friction where she most wanted.

Peeta correctly took that as an invitation and, never breaking his assault on her neck, fumbled with the button of her jeans. She pushed his hand away to unzip it faster, awkwardly baring her legs without leaving his lap. When she straddled him again, but now only in her underwear, the swelling in his jeans fit perfectly between her legs, and this time they moaned together.

It was his husky voice that made her eyes wide, and the question escaped her lips before she could swallow it back. "You're not doing this for pity, are you?"

His lips stilled on her neck and his hands stopped on her lower back. They could hear each other's heavy breaths and Katniss swore quietly. She was about to say anything to try to amend her stupid question when Peeta hooked his arm under her knees and picked her up effortlessly. He guided them to her room, kicking the door open; Katniss wasn't sure what he was feeling, if they should call this thing off, if she was drunker than she thought and—

Her body fell on the bed a bit ungracefully, the air leaving her lungs when he laid on top of her. His eyes had the same icy tone it showed when she had said she wasn't good enough for Gale, but this time it didn't feel scary. It just felt amazingly hot.

Silently, Peeta grabbed her small palm in his bigger one and unzipped his jeans with his other hand. He leaned closer to her, guiding her hand into his pants and underwear. They moaned in unison when her fingers reflexively curved over his erection, her hand moving in a slow pattern. Then he pulled her hand away and rested it on his cheek, turning his face to kiss her slightly wet palm. His blue eyes were starting at her when he spoke, "Does it feel like pity to you?"

She shook her head, pushing it back further on her pillow to give space to her hand make the way back into his pants. "No," she said softly, her nails trailing the rim of his stretched boxers. "It feels real," she admitted, her gray eyes lidded with desire.

"That's because it is."

She opened her mouth to respond, but his tongue didn't let her words out.

The kiss felt more urgent this time, the feeling overwhelming Katniss. Her hand closed once more over his hard shaft, his groan more prominent when she helped him undress completely. Everything about Peeta was different from Gale: his hands were softer, his weight was lighter and his kisses carried more passion than lust. The mixture of all that made her wetter than she'd ever been.

She threaded her fingers through his blond hair, pulling it in a gasp when his hand sneaked inside her panties. He kissed her neck slowly, releasing a guttural sound when he felt how ready she was.

"I've wanted to do this since the first time I saw you," he confessed, his middle finger parting her folds. "I've desired you for so long." The words made her shiver and she bit her lips not to scream when his finger traveled all the way up to her throbbing clit and back down to enter her entirely. Her hips bucked against his touch, searching for more.

He finally pulled down her damp panties and positioned himself above her. She closed her eyes in expectation, but he used his thumbs to gently pry them open.

"Please look at me," he whispered, looking at her mouth, nose and finally into eyes. "I want you to believe me." He kissed her, his hands trembling beside her head as he held himself up. "I'd never hurt you, Katniss. Never."

She couldn't hold back the deep moan when he finally pushed in, filling her in the best possible way.

That night, there was no one else Peeta desired to be; he was exactly where and with whom he'd always wanted.

That night, the hand covering Katniss' mouth to suppress her moans were soft, fair and loving.

* * *

It still consumed him, dictating his life and thoughts in the most inappropriate moments.

Gale was a forgotten memory, but others showed up; and how wouldn't they? Katniss was beautiful, strong, smart.

And _his_.

He was the one at her side warming her body at night and finally gaining her complete trust.

But it didn't matter; envy still dwelt in his heart and consumed his energy little by little, seeding doubts, anger and fear. His relationship with Katniss was the best thing in his life, though there were moments he felt like clutching to something until he could breathe freely, knowing Katniss was and would always be his.

He could live with that, though. He was relieved of it at every night when she kissed his forehead and played idly with his golden curls; those moments were worth all the pain.

It consumed him, but it was the best way to decay.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading.

Follow me on tumblr: _**sagacious-owl**_

Special thanks and cookies to my lovely beta: **honeylime. **


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